I know it’s called the blues but this was so big and joyful and FUN. Loved the crowd noise. Great way to kick things off.
can’t believe I got one of the greatest albums of all time SECOND. like where do I even go from here?
she was such a talent, but - with the exception of stronger than me - the songs on this particular record felt rather forgettable. still an absolutely knock your socks off debut though. now back to black on the other hand….
Bands simply don’t band the way they used to! The hits are hits for a reason but I was honestly most taken with Planet Caravan. It’s always nice to have a moment of calm in the storm and being able to do both types of song at this level is something else entirely
For better or worse I love this little freak, even when he’s singing to me about dry ice factories. Heaven is super underrated.
A better time machine than the Delorean
Ohh yeah this was a bit of me. Really struggled with whether to give this 4 or 5 stars just because I'm hesitant to 5 star things I've only listened to once, but I see this growing into a real favorite for me. I love "over-indulgent" passion projects, I love genre salad, I love 14 minute long album closers, and I loooove dorky space psychedelia. Title track is an all timer.
ETA: Bumped to a 5. It's really so good.
Really wish this hadn’t come up as my first Rolling Stones album but it was a good listen and perfect for a long walk on a nice day. Maybe my dad had a point after all!
Really loved this. I'd never listened to Sly apart from watching Summer of Soul with my boyfriend, but listening to this album immediately transported me to that joy-filled park in the sunshine. (And I listened to it in a corporate slop bowl place so that's no small feat.) Saw this in another comment, so not an original though, but I've rarely listened to a studio album that so effectively captures the live experience.
I grew up listening to a lot of slightly more contemporary protest music, so it was cool to hear some of its roots. Excited to put this one in rotation as the weather gets warmer - and god knows we need music like this right now.
Really lovely and transportative. I admittedly don't know much about this kind of music, but I'm glad to have listened to this.
I'm sure this was very fresh in its time, but it reminded me of a random A24 movie soundtrack unfortunately.
Forgot about most of this as I was listening to it :( Way more Jesus-y than I was expecting! The extra star is literally just for Fire And Rain (although Steamroller Blues got really close to canceling that out).
For whatever reason, it always takes me a few minutes (or songs in this case) to acclimate to Neil Young’s voice. But once I do, it always kind of bowls me over. That may be why, but I was far more taken with the back half of this album than the front. Maybe the first few tracks just need to grow on me, but Running Dry specifically was a stunner.
Like reviewing 7 different albums. No one jumps through genres quite as much (or as smoothly!) as these guys. Imagine writing bohemian rhapsody and then putting it on the same album as im in love with my car. generational! only knocking down to 4 because some of the non-BH songs were a bit forgettable.
I bet my good friend Dolores Abernathy would have loved this, but for better or worse I am human.
Really really loved this. Giving it a 4 only because its SO Nick Drake adjacent (and Nick Drake does Nick Drake better) but excited to add this one to the rotation.
None of y’all see the vision here. It’s like if Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas started a band. That being said, I’ll probably never listen to it again.
pleasant background music, not much more
I already know I’m gonna give the suburbs by arcade fire a 5/5, so I’m not gonna be a hypocrite and dock Morrissey here even though he’s obviously a dick. For better or worse, I am Zooey Deschanel from 500 Days Of Summer, I just hope I’m less twee about it. If this wasn’t a 5 star album already, the Kieran Culkin bus meme would put it straight over the edge.
I've tried so hard, but I just don't love listening to jazz music. I'm sure this is a great album for those that do though.
Solid, down the middle dad music (complimentary)
god I would have gone FERAL if I was 20 when this came out. the end button to enjoy the silence is so goated
pleasant enough listen but I also love thesmithsthecureoasisduranduranetc so what does that really do about this album that came after all of them? animal lover was a good track though.
also welcome to soapbox corner: if you’re going to have two songs on your album with the same word in the title (“animal” in this case) they HAVE to be two halves of a whole or speak to each other in some way. otherwise pick a different word!!! write about something else!!!
Didn’t love this as much as I wanted to :( Patti is obviously SO influential but the album itself…idk. Gloria is a RIPPER of an opening track and Elegie is perfect but the stuff in the middle just felt kind of muddled to me
I think I like the idea of Queen a lot more than I actually like listening to them. This, like A Night At The Opera, felt like the soundtrack for a movie that I haven't seen (and don't really have any intention of seeing). Maybe it's a matter of time and place, but - through no fault of Freddie and co. - the 6 train is definitely not that time nor that place. All of this works better for me as needle drops in real movies than as a cohesive work of music.
Liked this one a lot! Would have been a playlist staple if I’d discovered it during the Obama era
This floored me. Leonard Cohen was the grandfather of every artist I’ve ever loved
I agree with everyone in these comments saying this was a little too derivative sounding of other 80s bands, but the thing is… it literally isn’t! It’s from 1979! One of the hardest parts of this challenge is trying to put an album in its own authentic context. This sounds like a copy because we’ve heard the music that it inspired (and yes, in some cases, did this style better) but these guys did it first. That has to bump this up a few levels. Some really great, weird, and totally surprising moments here. Also, this band had GREAT hair. Wish people still looked like that
let’s fuck and then talk about how much we HATE the GOVERNMENT (my dream)
Found this to be oddly languid for a disco album (or I guess what I expect out of a disco album). Didn’t do much for me sonically, but the album cover is fire.
the dads of the world may have been right about this neil young guy, huh?
also - why does neil young have two separate albums called harvest and harvest moon???? i think it was reasonable to expect harvest moon to come up on an album called harvest but my hopes were DASHED
The only exciting thing about this album is that I finally get to rate something a 1. Yay! Lucky me! Tedious and overlong, which was especially offensive when I'm convinced this was the same song on loop for 50 minutes??? This is like you're friends roommate's boyfriend's band that you occasionally have to pretend don't suck to keep the peace. If you're album's main claim to fame is that it's the first ecstasy-fueled album (which... no it's not), maybe it shouldn't be on this list?? Just a thought.
You're really testing me, dear album generator....
my airpod fell into the sink while i was listening to this fucking MONARCHIST
I was so excited to get a female fronted band I think I over indexed this one a bit. Doesn’t really stand up to the rest of the albums I’ve rated 5 but still a bowl you over piece of music. Maybe I’ll bump it up again in a few months who knows
was it essential? no! but was it interesting? also no!
for a solid 72 hours I’ve tried to figure out what to say about this album and I can’t for the life of me think of anything. I’m not sure why! It’s just super super competent but idk what else. Riders on the storm is a stone cold classic but I kind of skated over the rest even after two full listens
said “omg this is on here?????” to my bf at least 3 times. transportative! lauryn hill is such a beast she can be as late to concerts as she wants
did I like it or did it just make me feel like the protagonist in a 90s rom-com?
so wild to kick things off with sunday bloody sunday and still have the rest of the album be this good
she really did cry power. the kind of voice that makes you believe in god (female)!
This list is pathologically afraid of emo music so this was a WELCOME surprise. Still, it feels like if you can acknowledge this is good (which it is) it’s not that far of a jump to, say, American Football or Brand New or MCR or even Bright Eyes. That being said I’ll take what I can get easy 5 stars Midwest emo 4ever 🫶
I imagine this would sound awesome if you were picking out your signature pukka shell necklace or hitting a bong in your friends basement for the first time ever. In 2026 it’s pretty trite.
so thoroughly boring. not even interesting enough to merit a 1, which means there’s at least *something* going on. and what a blah ending! gonna be a nope from me dog
finally <3 every time I listen to this (which has been many, many times) I have a new favorite song. This time it was videotape. Love these crazy kids
it’s just like…. if you’re gonna do this…… why not just put cabaret on here? or any broadway for that matter???
maybe its because i just muscled through all 127 hours of tank battles by dagmar krause but this was a pleasant surprise! kind of gave sinners at times, which is not something I ever thought I'd write
Lost a little bit of steam in the back half but this was a fun listen and one that’s genuinely hard to believe came out in 1977.
Also all those 30 second songs were amazing to me. Did Wire invent TikTok clips?
Lovely! No real standout tracks but perfect, easy cooking or dinner party music
HAPPY PRIDE 🏳️🌈
Made the E train smell like campfire smoke and wide open spaces.
more like this is a high am i right????
Finding this nearly impossible to rate. Feels more like engaging with history than actually listening to an album.
I love a bit as much as the next guy, but there’s such a thing as too much commitment. Maybe I would have liked this better if I didn’t know what these guys were capable of. Where’s quadrophenia you cowards!!!
seeing that this was only 6 songs: :)
realizing the first was 20 minutes long: :(
one of *the* albums of my life. say yes and angeles are going to be strong contenders for my favorite songs on this whole list when all is said and done
4 stars for that slide whistle alone. Did I like it? I’m not sure. But I sure as hell respected it.
I thought this was boygenius
this list is making me actively hostile toward the idea of listening to new music. this was a 2 until breakfast time, which was sonically ROTTEN. the musical equivalent of mixing orange juice with toothpaste. just eat your stupid beans on toast or whatever and leave me out of it!
I really do get it, but this style of music just isn't for me. Was just never inspired to listen to this, even though I had the whole weekend.
Listened to this in the gray drizzling rain on my way to watch the England-Ghana match. Proper good day
see al green review
love me some didioncore
I liked this one better than LA Woman, but something’s still just not totally clicking for me. Maybe I’m going in with too many expectations. Maybe it’s just not my thing! Idk!
Regardless of the music though, one of the great joys of this challenge has been reading stories about Jim Morrison. Matty Healy WISHES he could get arrested on stage.
I owe boomers an apology. This ripped!!!
One of the albumiest albums of all time. Builds such a lush, complete (other)world in so little time. Untouchable!
Really fun. The passenger is an eternal bop.
Oh man, I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. Starts off so strong (like, SO strong), but the non-mega hits didn't take off for a reason. And that's everything except the first 3 songs, which is waaaay too much filler, even for a pop album.
THAT BEING SAID, if you heard those first three notes of Baby One More Time and still gave this a 1, you're a misogynist. Plain and simple!
John wick core
why did we need two of these?? at least the other one had some bops. this was nothing.
Unfortunately for my better judgement, I’m right in the middle of a supernatural rewatch right now, so this hit the spot. OG Misogyny But It Rocks. The song about how all the girls love their big top hats was awesome. As was the ode to TV dinners. They’re calling it the most divorced album of all time!
The first of a category I've been dreading, aka Albums I Used To Love That Aren't Necessarily Good But I Have An Intense Amount Of Nostalgia For And Cannot Possible Be Objective About (AIUTLTANGBIHAIAONFACPBOA for short).
We all know this is The Bends lite with more astrology. But Knights Of Cydonia rules. But Matt Bellamy is guilty of critical amounts of Fight The Power vagueposting. But it has the twilight song! But he doesn't know how to pronounce English words. But Starlight is iconic. But there's kind of nothing original here. But it filled a gap I didn't know I had while I was waiting to discover Radiohead. But.... it's still Muse.
Anyway, 4 stars.
Oops! All sultans of swing.
not remotely sticky. this challenge is turning me against long songs which is such a tragedy they used to be my favorite thing!
Started out so strong but really flagged in the middle/end. Goodbye Lucille #1 was a particular low point. Still, not too shabby for an Anonynous New Wave (ANW™️) album
one of my favorite genres (can’t tell if high voiced man or low voiced woman)
I can see why this didn't take off quite like TQID etc. but its still the smiths! For better or worse I am extremely Summer Finn about this band. Do kind of resent this list for inspiring me to really get into a band AFTER it’s revealed that’s its frontman is a piece of shit though. I have enough of those that I liked before the reveal to deal with already
Ok, I get it. Something about this was so effortless
This made me feel like a protagonist in a 90s rom-com *and* I liked it. So many more layers than I expected. Almost Beatles-y at point? But then I could draw a direct line from Butcher’s Tale to like 45% of The Decemberists’ catalogue which is distinctly UN-Beatles. Loved the queer rep in Friends Of Mine. Good!!!
S/O to the person who pointed out this came out the same year as Kid A. Jail time for Dimmery.
Has nothing on Ice Cube’s real masterpiece, Are We There Yet? (2005)
This challenge has made me appreciate live albums so much. There’s just so much vitality here. Loved it.
I see why Cady's parents were mad about her missing this concert. (I also kind of see why Cady wanted to skip the concert.)
A fine album objectively but a lousy Bowie album. Absolutely did not need to be on this list
I can’t believe you all rated this so low the millennial dream is dead
Kevin Garvey 💔
Hey……hey jack…… I don’t think seven WHOLE NATIONS have any vested interest in stopping you from going to Wichita, Kansas. That’s a pretty innocuous thing to do.
Look, as someone who likes a lot of twee Portlandia era shit I have to draw the line somewhere. This was my line. It’s SO annoying. My First Guitar Lesson level stuff. Leave me out of it!
That crying child was cut off at exactly the right second. Really felt this one. Love a concept album, especially a tragic one.
Three songs in, had the distinct thought that listening to this loud, extremely stressful, ridiculously frenetic album was something akin to bliss. Never got into these guys, but this was everything I wanted it to be and more. Bixler-Zavala has the perfect voice for a project like this. The salsa rhythms were insane. The lyrics were nonsense. I absolutely loved it.
PS: these stars are also spiritually for three cheers for sweet revenge and a fever you can’t sweat out, which are obviously in the lineage of this album and would have been on this list if dimery had any taste whatsoever!!
Janelle Monáe should be cool. She’s just…. not
This was fine on its own but better knowing the context of what they would become. It’s no quadrophenia though!!
I’m such a sucker for an Emmylou Harris feature, all of these stars are for her!!!
Tired: I love every genre but country.
Wired: I love every genre but FUCKING NEW WAVE.
Terminally samey. Pretty in Pink is a fine song, but I didn't need to hear it 10 times. Laughed out loud at the Into You Like A Train variation.
Serious question: at the time, were people meant to take this seriously? Was enjoyable enough (even pretty fun!) when I imagined it as a rocky horror rip off. As an actual album, I can’t imagine ever taking any of this at face value. The last song made me say “oh my god” out loud. Insane drop off in quality from the front half to the back, but there were some legitimate bops in the beginning. It’s like he remembered he had to be Alice Cooper halfway through and started spouting some nonsense about loving dead people. Raped and freezing’ also very bad!
I've heard the songs on this album exactly the wrong number of times. It wasn't fresh and thrilling but it wasn't nostalgic either. It's a shame because objectively, I completely understand why people adore this album so much. I appreciated it immensely, I just didn't *feel* it quite the way I hoped I would.
Loved the little alien-sounding dudes in Bewlay Brothers. Why does David Bowie need to ask if there's Life On Mars.... like he doesn't already know
I'm not a jazz girl and this was REALLY not for me in the beginning, but it got a lot more palatable as it went on. Liked the second song a lot better. Maybe jazz is growing on me idk
